Photo courtesy of Odell Brewing Co
WHO: Odell Brewing Co.
WHAT: Green Coyote Tomatillo Sour, 5.1% ABV
WHEN: Taproom release TODAY, June 14, at Odell Brewing (800 E Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins). In stores now!
WHERE: Available for a limited time in 12 oz. bottles across Odell’s 15-state distribution footprint (Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, Illinois and Iowa).
ABOUT: A bit of info from Odell: A bright, crisp take on a classic Berliner Weisse. A bountiful spring harvest of tomatillo fruit creates a slight sweetness and tangy bite, while subtle notes of kiwi, cucumber, lemon bowl alongside tartness on the tongue. The untamed freshness of Green Coyote will have you lapping it up at high-noon, or in the glow of the moonlight.
MY THOUGHTS: I’ll admit I thought this sounded like a really weird ingredient for a beer, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I like tomatillos, and I like beer. But a combo of the two? It really piqued my curiosity, and I was eager to try it.
I’m happy to say it’s not weird at all! It’s a very tasty, easy drinking sour. It’s quite a bit more tart than your average Berliner Weisse, though not a puckering sour. The tomatillo is noticeable yet subtle. I drank the first one on its own in order to completely absorb the flavors in the beer itself, but Odell has some excellent food pairing ideas, such as fried green tomatoes, fresh salsa, and grilled sirloin steak. With my next Green Coyote I plan to pair it with both a red and green salsa to see what differences each one brings out in the beer. I’m also thinking some sort of tropical fruit sorbet would go amazingly well with it.
Put Green Coyote on your “summer sour” list. And with a beer this interesting, you can really get creative with food pairings. Or even incorporate it into your own recipes. Give this fun, delicious sour a try!
